The Golden Compass captures its cinematic counterpart pretty well, but the gameplay will be boring to all but the film's youngest and most easily entertained fans

by Matt Cabral

The Golden Compass finds itself in a more precarious position than its young adventuring heroine; not only is it a movie-based game--a genre whose titles often fall victim to limiting production schedules and plot lines tied to the films on which they're based--but it also features a young child as the primary playable character.

Anyone who's played a Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia title has likely been stung by the frustration of navigating through a game with a prepubescent protagonist whose arsenal is limited by their already established character. At least Potter has his wand and the Narnia kids have some medieval weaponry, but how much damage can you do in a videogame with a compass? Given these limitations, the best this tyke-featuring title can do is capitalize on the coolness of the property it's based on. The Golden Compass succeeds in pulling this off to some extent, but it also reflects the fact its source material doesn't provide enough fertile gaming ground. How do you create a game around a film that offers few opportunities for gameplay translation? Well, in Sega's and Shiny Entertainment's case you wedge a variety of mini-games and challenges into places that gameplay probably doesn't belong.

But before we get into the bad, let's discuss the good. The Golden Compass looks pretty decent; not especially next-gen, but watching the armored polar bear Iorek lumber across snowy vistas and platforming through the roof tops of Jordan College does offer some eye-pleasing moments. And those that've seen the film will appreciate the many faithfully reconstructed locales and set pieces. Furthering the movie immersion is the inclusion of actual film footage. Some scenes in the game will morph from film clips to gameplay and vice versa, stressing that you're actually replaying parts of the movie. Kids who've seen the film should enjoy these clips, while adults will get a chuckle out of seeing Nicole Kidman go from pretty to polygonal.

The game also does a decent job of stretching as much gaming out of Lyra--the film's young heroine--as possible. So, she doesn't carry a grenade launcher or broad sword, but she does have her daemon, a shape-shifting sidekick that, within the narrative, is actually a reflection of Lyra's soul. For the purpose of gaming, this soul-inspired creature becomes a multi-tasking, platforming play mechanic. Lyra's daemon, named Pan, can turn into a rope-gnawing ermine, a climbing wildcat, a gliding hawk, and an investigative sloth. Solving the game's many puzzles and platforming bits will require you to utilize each form's special ability. One particular platforming portion of the adventure sees Lyra sneaking into a secret-holding Magestarium (they're the bad guys for those yet to read the novel or watch the film) building by performing various tasks, utilizing each of Pan's forms to navigate an obstacle course of sorts. In addition, some of Pan's alter-egos will go off on their own to perform specific games and tasks. One such challenge has players following on-screen button prompts as Pan's wildcat form fights off Nicole Kidman's character's evil monkey daemon. Certain parts of the game also put players behind the powerful paws of Iorek; playing as Lyra's polar bear warrior companion, you'll be able to slash and claw your way through packs of angry wolves and the occasional boss battle.